Green technology to replace meters

Street parking in Austin is going green with new high-tech parking pay stations.

The new pay stations are solar-powered, take credit cards, debit cards and coins, and will replace the 3,800 outdated single-space parking meters around the city.

“Our current parking meter system is pretty sad,” said Karla Villalon, Austin Transportation Department spokeswoman. “The solar powered meters will modernize our parking system.”

An Austin Transportation Department analysis of the current parking meter system in summer 2008 found that the system is failing. Meter failures are increasing and city staff labor costs to repair meters sap thousands of dollars in city revenue, according to the report.

The most significant change to customers will be the ability to pay on-street parking with credit or debit cards. The first pay station was installed during the inauguration on Friday on Second Street near City Hall.

New pay stations will be installed on North Congress Avenue on Wednesday, and the remaining meters will be replaced by Thanksgiving.

One parking pay station will replace eight to 11 regular parking meters, Villalon said.

The stations will have easy, on-screen instructions in multiple languages, and the customer will be prompted through four steps. For credit cards there will be a 15-minute minimum, and when done, customers will be able to print out a receipt. Putting the receipt in your windshield will keep you from receiving a citation.

“Since I work downtown, I’m getting tickets all of the time because I’m always scrambling for change,” said Kaylee Watts, Elements Laser Spa employee. “Now that I can use my card, I won’t have to do that anymore.”

Pay station customers benefit from the payment flexibility, printed receipts will provide a record of expenses for business purposes, customers can pay for up to three hours instead of two, and the system ensures credit card safety with built-in security features, Villalon said.

The stations run on solar power and have batteries that last three years. The meters will also notify the city automatically when units need maintenance or are full. This will save the city time on repairs and also reduce field checks and coin collection trips.

“Last year, there were 18,000 service calls on 3,800 meters,”  Villalon said. “A lot of them don’t work most of the time or are malfunctioning.”

Once the old meters are removed, the city will take an inventory of the supply and review their condition for reuse, recycling or sale. Some of the meters will be held in reserve to replace areas that will continue to have single-space meters.

Councilwoman Randi Shade will lead the effort in recycling the old meters. It will involve both creative reuse of the meters for charitable purposes or re-selling through surplus sales, and 500 meters will be available for the recycling program.

“We want to figure out what the best use for the meters are,” said Marti Bier, a policy aide for Shade. “We are throwing around ideas about outdoor public art projects or using them for fund raising purposes for other organizations. “

5 comments

Robin renee Hanson

Sat Nov 21 2009 14:55

Yes, because since men ran the world for years, they accomplished so much, ignorance is bliss as they say, and you must be a very happy man (insecurity is really pathetic in a man, you probably don't get laid much do you) . This comment refers to the superfluous statements made by someone afraid to leave there name on Tue July 21, 2009 at 16:30 PM, and who is angry that women have taken his job due to his inept mind (based on his statement his body probably doesn't respond unless little blue pills and call girls are involved.

No, not my name

Thu Aug 6 2009 13:49

The city trumpets "convenience," but it's all about revenue. The first places targeted for these damned things were the last handful of parallel spots near UT where you could park for free, such as along 26th bordering the Law School & LBJ, or down on University at the foot of the Main Mall. The irony is that the cost-recovery projection is 8 years (if the machines last that long; I wonder how well they tolerate sledgehammers?). Look fro them soon along San Antonio, Nueces, Rio Grande and the other streets west of campus. The only reason UT's own Ticketing & Towing Department--um, of course I mean Parking & Transportation--hasn't installed these pay stations is that T&T makes plenty already.

Your name

Wed Aug 5 2009 14:46

No more using remaining time on a meter someone over paid I guess. That will make the city money hand over fist. Figures

Alex

Tue Jul 21 2009 17:05

Seemed MECHANICAL meters used NO electricity! WHY NOT USE THOSE? That would be even more "green." No reason to create toxic substances making more solar cells. I guarantee you these touch screen stations will break, too, and when they do you have 8 - 11 spaces that are out of commission. Also, what about privacy? Let me guess, they will require you to put your license plate # into the system, right? No mention of that in the article. Google "Agenda 21." This is about data collection (with a side benefit of money collection system for banks as more transactions are routed through credit cards for which they get a cut.)

Your name

Tue Jul 21 2009 16:30

Are there any men still running things in Austin? Or, has the whole damned city been turned over to women? No wonder Austin is becoming more and more screwed-up as the years progress.

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